Anchor release for a moored drill mine



vt ilap Nov. 29, 1960 s. woLF ANCHOR RELEASE FOR A MOORED DRILL MINE Filed Nov. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hm. V Hm, 3e (I7 3| 33 34 N [6 I 27 '5 I 31 W INVENTOR. SYLVAN WOLF ORNEZi Nov. 29, 1960 s. WOLF 2,961,957 ANCHOR RELEASE FOR A MOORED DRILL MINE Filed Nov. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. SYLVAN WOLF ATTORNEY S ANCHOR RELEASE FOR A MOORED DRILL MINE Sylvan Wolf, College Park, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Nov. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 853,430

Claims. (Cl. 102-13) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to marine mines; more specifically it relates to an anchor release mechanism for a moored mine which allows the buoyant mine case to rise to the surface upon release of the mechanism.

In mine laying drills, the mines so laid are recovered afterwards for reuse. In the past, the recovery has been accomplished by divers or occasionally by means of a float having a cable attached, the other end of the cable being attached to the mine, whereby the mine and anchor were raised to the surface.

Since the depth to which a diver can descend is limited,

'the recovery of mines by divers is limited to mines laid within such depths.

In those cases where a float with a cable attached is used, the float and cable represent an auxiliary structure attached to the mine thus adding unnecessary bulk with the added penalty that the device is not rugged enough to be air dropped.

It is therefore an object to provide an anchor release mechanism which permits mines to be planted and rewhich is rugged enough to be used in air-droped mines.

.Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily apreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, somewhat in perspective, of a mine anchor with the release apparatus of the invention attached thereto and shown in the locked position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a 'view, somewhat in perspective, of the release apparatus of the invention shown in the released position; and

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Figure 1 a mine anchor 8, having mooring cable 9 attached thereto, wound about a drum therein. Attached to anchor 8 by means of bolts 10, 11, 12, and 13 is the Y-shaped release apparatus which includes a compressed gas chamber 14, a valve 15 which controls the release of gas from chamber 14, and tube 16, having appropriate fittings, which connects r Patented Nov. 29, 1960 chamber 14 with housing 17 which contains a rupture disk and an explosive fitting. Tube 18, having appropriate fittings, leads from the housing 17 to a chamber formed in housing 19 by a cylinder which contains a piston, forming a communication therebetween. To the opposite face of the piston is attached rod 21. The cylinder in housing 19 has an aperture located aproximately midway of the length of the cylinder which leads to a reservoir and tube 22, having appropriate fittings, leads from the reservoir to a second chamber formed by a second cylinder in housing 23 having a second piston therein. Latch 24 is pivotally attached to mine anchor 8 by means of pin 25 and has a serrated edge. Latch 24 is pivotally positioned so that one side thereof abuts rod 21, when it is in its withdrawn position, while at the same time pin 26, which is attached to a pawl inside the mine anchor and which projects outwardly through an opening in the mine anchor so as to be within the path of the piston in cylinder housing 23, as it moves upwardly is engaged between two of the serrations and thus restrained from any upward movement. Cable 27, having appropriate fittings, is a conduit for an electrical connection from a conventional timer 29 located in section 28 to the explosive fitting in housing 17.

There is shown in Figure 2 the housing 17 with tube 16 attached thereto, said tube communicating with aperture 31 in the housing but having rupture disk 32 positioned therein at the point of juncture with housing 17 so as to block communication. Aperture 31 communicates with a cavity in housing 17 which contains conventional explosive fitting 33, the cavity being closed by end closure 34 with washer 37. Aperture 35 is located at substantially right angles to aperture 31 and communicates with tube 18, shown in Figure 1. 0 ring 36 forms a seal between tube 16 and housing 17 In Figure 3, tube 18 is attached to housing 19 and communicates with aperture 39 therein which communicates with a cylinder which contains piston 40. 0 rings 41 and 42 form seals between the cylinder and the piston which has an end section of much smaller diameter than the portion which contains the 0 rings and which has rod 21 attached to the face of the smaller section. About midway of the cylinders length and normal thereto is aperture 44 which communicates between the cylinder and reservoir 45. Tube 22 is connected to the housing 19 and aperture 46 communicates between the reservoir and tube 22. End closure 47, having a cylindrical aperture therein of slightly smaller diameter than piston 40, forms a closure for the reservoir and forms a shoulder to act as a stopping means for the piston as well, being secured to housing 19 by screws 48 so that the aperture and the cylinder containing piston 40 are coaxial, with O ring 49 forming a seal for the reservoir.

In Figure 4, the second cylinder housing 23 is shown which contains piston 51 which has a thickened center section with O ring 52 forming a seal between the center section and the cylinder. The piston further has elongated, narrower end projections, both such projections passing through apertures in the end walls of the cylinder, and one such projection being sealed by O ring 54 to form a pressure chamber from which aperture 55 leads and communicates with tube 22.

In Figure 5, the apparatus is shown in the activated position, rod 21 having been displaced to the right, and upward, causing latch 24 to move pivotally, counterclockwise thus freeing rod 26 which is then pushed upward and slightly to the left by piston 51.

There is shown in Figure 6, the latch 24 mounted upon the outside of the mine anchor by its pivotal shaft 25 with rod 21 abutting member 60 is mounted upon the inside of the mine anchor by its pivotal shaft 61 and is attached to pawl 62 so that the two members move as a unit about the pivot. Pin 26 is attached to pawl 62 and projects outwardly thru an aperture in the mine anchor wall. Abutting pin 26 is piston 51. Ratchet 63 is attached to drum 64 about which the mine anchor cable is wound and is held against rotation by pawl 62.

The materials and components used in the construction of the apparatus are conventional and well known in the art.

In operation, the timer located in housing 28 is set and valve 15 turned to the fully open position, pressurizing tube 16 up to the point where rupture disk 32 is located, the pressure being held by the disk. After the preset time has elapsed, the timer causes a signal to be sent through cable 27 to explosive fitting 33, causing it to explode and thus rupture disk 32. Compressed gas then rushes through aperture 35, through tube 18, and through aperture 39 where it acts on piston 40.

Piston 40 moves to the right and upward as shown in Figure 5, its attached rod 21 pushing against latch 24, causing it to move pivotally. Piston 40 is stopped by shoulders formed by member 47.

After piston 40 has been displaced sufiicient-ly, aperture 44 is uncovered and the compressed gas rushes through the aperture and into the reservoir 45, pressurizing it. Thereafter, gas rushes through aperture 46, into tube 22, through aperture 55 where it acts on piston 51, causing it to move upwardly and to the left, as shown in Figure 5. The pin 26 is pushed by piston 51 and pawl 62 is lifted, pivotingwith member 60 about shaft 61, freeing ratchet 63 which is attached to the mine cable drum 64. Thus released, the buoyant mine rises to the surface where it is recovered and the anchor raised to the surface by means of the cable.

Numerous tests have been performed at a chamber pressure of about 2500 p.s.i. in vessel 14 in depths of water varying from 100 to 480 feet of water, including many air drops, with successful operation of the apparatus.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An anchor release mechanism for a buoyant marine mine which is attached by a cable to an anchor having a drum about which said cable is wound which comprises: a compressed gas source attached to the anchor; a first housing attached to the anchor having a first cylindrical well which contains a first piston whereby a first chamber is formed between one end of the piston and the bottom of the well, the other end of the piston being elongated; first communicating means leading from the compressed gas source to the first chamber; a pressure-restraining rupture disc positioned in the first communicating means; means to rupture said disc whereby the compressed gas is allowed to pressurize the first chamber and displace the first piston; locking means attached pivotally to said anchor and positioned to be angularly displaced by the elongated end of the first piston; a ratchet attached to an end of said drum; a pawl attached pivotally to said anchor engaging said ratchet and restrained from disengaging movement by the said locking means when undisplaced by the first piston; a second housing attached to the anchor having a second cylindrical well which has a second piston therein whereby a second chamber is formed between one end of the second piston and the bottom of the well, the other end of the second piston being elongated, the housing being positioned such that the elongated end of the second piston will angularly displace the pawl upon being displaced; and second communicating means leading from the first cylinder to the second chamber allowing the second chamber to be pressurized after the first piston has moved a predetermined distance, whereby the movement of the first piston disengages the locking means, the movement of the second piston disengages the pawl, thus freeing the drum to rotate.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the second communicating means includes a reservoir.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the rupture disk is located in a housing, and the means to rupture the disk includes an explosive fitting located in the same housing which has an aperture connecting the fitting with the disk; and a timer adapted to send an electric impulse after a pre-set time connected to the fitting to cause the fitting to explode.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the first communicating means has a valve therein positioned between the compressed gas source and the rupture disk.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the pawl has a rod attached substantially normal thereto and so positioned as to be displaced by the displacement of the second piston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

